Arc 4 Chapter 44 : Goddess of War

[Siena PoV]

After the Imperial Infantry made contact with the Alliance Infantry, I decided to move out of the forest.

Our current position gave us a tremendous advantage, as we were directly behind the enemy forces.

— Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Musketeers in the front line opened fire on the Imperial troops ahead of them.

In response, the Imperials attempted to change their formation.

I could see the Infantry units at the rear beginning to turn around and face us.

"The Musket is ready!" I heard the firing squad leader shout.

Hearing that, I gave the order.

"Fire!"

— Bang! Bang! Bang!

The front line of Infantry that had turned to face us collapsed under thousands of hot lead rounds fired by the Musketeers.

They immediately began reloading their rifles.

There was a ten or fifteen second delay before the Musketeers could fire again.

That gap could be used by the enemy to respond with a counterattack.

Suddenly, five enormous fireballs came flying toward us.

Of course, the Imperial forces weren't going to simply stand by and watch their soldiers fall.

I stepped in front of the soldiers, drew my sword, and assumed a stance.

"Spatial Magic..."

I expanded the area covered by my magic.

Once the five fireballs entered the range of my spell, I swung my sword horizontally.

"Spatial Slash!"

The five fireballs were split cleanly into two before exploding in midair.

The wind generated by the explosions blew dust into my face, forcing me to raise my palm to keep it from getting into my eyes and obstructing my vision.

However, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a Knight rushing toward me.

"..."

— CLANG!

Our swords collided, and the force of his slash sent my body flying sideways.

I twisted my body and drove my sword into the ground, using it to stop myself and regain my footing.

In the distance, I saw the armored Knight rushing toward me again.

I activated the Temper spell on the sword in my hand and blocked his incoming slash.

— CLANG!

Our swords collided once again.

This time, however, I managed to stop his attack completely.

"Raymond the White Knight..." I muttered as I stared sharply at the old Knight crossing swords with me.

"You still haven't answered my question from before, Miss Siena," he said before spinning his body and launching a Spinning Slash.

I ducked beneath his attack before countering with a diagonal slash from below.

However, my blade cut through nothing but air.

Raymond the White Knight quickly leaped backward, avoiding my counterattack.

I stared at him coldly before adopting the sword stance of Liana de Grantz.

"Your forces are surrounded," I said. "And we outnumber you. The ambitions of your country will end here."

Hearing my words, Raymond the White Knight also assumed a battle stance.

"You're underestimating us, Miss Siena," the old man replied. "There is a reason we are known as the strongest country on this continent."

There was not the slightest hint of doubt in his voice, even though their current situation was heavily against them.

I wondered where their confidence came from.

Was it because their people were simply arrogant by nature?

Or did they truly possess an unyielding mentality that refused to surrender?

"..."

Suddenly, I noticed a formation of mounted soldiers on a hill to the right side of the battlefield.

At the front of the formation, a blonde-haired woman appeared to be shouting something.

"So you hid troops as well."

I turned my attention back to the Knight I was fighting.

"She is my niece and the student I am most proud of," Raymond the White Knight said with a proud expression. "She is the one who will lead our nation to even greater heights of civilization."

His niece?

If I remember correctly, the Emperor's wife was the younger sister of Raymond the White Knight.

That meant the woman leading hundreds of Cavalry atop that hill was Elena de Aragon.

"That doesn't matter," I replied as I activated Ashpalt. "If we win this battle, the Venetians will replace the Aragonian people's dominance!"

We both rushed toward each other once again, ready to resume our battle.

That's right...

I won't give up until our nation reaches the pinnacle of glory we have dreamed of all this time.

---

[Elena PoV]

The battle was growing more intense.

Our main forces were fighting the enemy from both the front and the rear.

Meanwhile, the 5,000 soldiers fighting 20,000 enemy troops to the east were almost completely annihilated.

If we didn't do something quickly, they would all be slaughtered.

"Elena."

I heard Raul's voice and turned toward him.

The black-haired man was staring at me with the only eye he had left.

"Forget about charging over there to help our 5,000 soldiers," the man said flatly.

"Why?"

I wanted to know why we had to abandon our comrades who desperately needed our help.

Why did we have to leave them behind once again in this battle?

"The Cavalry Unit under your command will only be destroyed for nothing if you charge the enemy without sufficient Infantry support," Raul answered. "As a leader, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions in order to achieve victory."

Hearing Raul's words, I looked back toward the 5,000 soldiers who were on the verge of being completely slaughtered to the east.

He was right.

A charge led by me would be pointless if I directed it there.

Furthermore, the 20,000 Alliance soldiers would undoubtedly reinforce the other 15,000 troops currently fighting our 50,000 main forces in the center.

Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from our comrades being slaughtered and turned toward the main army fighting the enemy forces attacking from both the front and rear.

In addition, the newly arrived Alliance forces attacking the rear of our main army were considerably larger than their other two forces.

Stolen novel; please report.

That meant the most effective course of action was to charge the 15,000 Alliance soldiers positioned in front of our main army.

If our main forces could quickly defeat the enemy in front of us and immediately engage the other 20,000 enemy soldiers before our position became even worse, we might still have a chance.

"Advance! Their formation is almost broken!"

"Quickly! Let's finish the battle here and help the others!"

Our forces in the front were beginning to gain the upper hand against the 15,000 Alliance soldiers ahead of us.

— Grrruuuhhhh!

Suddenly, six seven-meter-tall Golems emerged from the ground around the 15,000 Alliance soldiers.

The Golems attacked the front line of our main Infantry, shattering their formation and halting the momentum of our assault.

"Lightning Ball!"

"Fire Rocket!"

Our mages fired magical projectiles toward the six Golems.

However, all they managed to leave behind were small scratches on the Golems' bodies.

Seeing this, I had already made my decision about where to lead my Cavalry charge.

"Everyone! Gather together!" I shouted while raising the spear in my hand high into the air.

All the Cavalry under my command emerged from behind the hill and climbed to the top.

I looked at the faces of every soldier.

They seemed to have been waiting for this moment ever since the battle began.

Young or old, it didn't matter.

They were here for one reason—to defend their country and homeland.

There was nothing I needed to say to them this time.

Everyone looked eager to throw themselves into the battlefield.

"We're going to charge the enemy and take down their Mages and Musketeers!" I announced. "Raise your spears!"

Everyone raised the spears in their right hands.

I then turned around and faced the mass of enemies waiting below.

"Aragonian Cavalry!" I shouted.

"OUUUHHH!"

"OUUUHHH!"

Everyone responded to my command, signaling that they were ready to charge the enemy.

"For Honor and Glory... CHAAAAARGE!!!"

After shouting those words, I spurred my horse forward and led the Cavalry Unit toward the Mages controlling the Golems.

— Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

The thunderous footsteps of hundreds of horses echoed in my ears.

The enemy forces had also noticed us and began changing their formation.

But they were too late.

We were already only fifty meters away.

"Aim your spears!" I shouted while positioning the tip of my spear forward, preparing for impact.

Every Cavalry soldier under my command did the same.

Hundreds of spears must have been an intimidating sight for the enemy Infantry attempting to block our charge.

Forty meters...

Thirty meters...

I tightened my grip around the spear in my right hand, preparing for contact.

Twenty meters...

Ten meters...

And then...

— CRACK!!!

The tip of my spear shattered as it slammed into an enemy soldier.

The entire Cavalry formation crashed into the Alliance Infantry attempting to stop us.

I then drew my sword and continued forward, slashing the throats of enemies in my path.

The Cavalry Unit under my command continued following behind me.

They began drawing their swords once their spears broke.

"Stop the enemy Cavalry!"

"Mages! Stop them with your Golems!"

— GROOOAAAHH!!!

The six Golems that had been fighting the Infantry turned their attention toward us.

They all began moving closer.

"Spread out!" I ordered the Cavalry Unit.

We widened our formation so that we wouldn't be easily crushed beneath the Golems' feet.

Two Golems approached us and raised one of their legs to stomp on us.

I immediately spurred my horse harder, urging it to run faster and avoid the massive foot.

— BOOOM!!!

The ground shook as the two Golems slammed their feet down beside my horse.

My horse then ran between the two enormous legs, passing through the gap between them.

"..."

But suddenly, the leg of another Golem swung toward me just as I emerged from beneath the previous one.

I quickly activated Axio and leaped off my horse.

— BAAAM!!!

My horse was sent flying into the air after being struck by the Golem's kick.

A Mage was standing atop the massive Golem.

He moved his hand, causing the Golem he controlled to reach toward my airborne body.

I twisted my body in midair, avoiding the Golem's hand as it attempted to grab me.

After dodging it, I activated my Profound Codex.

Lightning began coursing over my entire body, glowing bright yellow.

I used the Golem's wrist as a foothold and launched myself toward the Mage controlling it.

"Earth Missile!"

Realizing what I was doing, the Mage fired several Earth Element projectiles at me.

I swiftly cut through each magical projectile and successfully landed atop the Golem's head, right where the Mage was standing.

Without hesitation, I swung my sword horizontally.

Yellow lightning surged along its blade.

"Lightning Blade!"

"Damn it! Mud Armor!"

The Mage covered his body in an earthen armor, attempting to protect himself from my attack.

— SLASH!

But his spell couldn't withstand my Lightning Blade.

My sword pierced through his defenses and cleaved his body in two.

The moment the Mage controlling it was killed, the Golem's body began trembling before slowly collapsing.

But my magic was still active.

And my attack was far from over.

— SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

I cut down the other Mages who were still controlling their Golems.

Blood covered the armor I was wearing.

Both the Imperial and Alliance soldiers could see me standing between their forces.

My Profound Codex disappeared once its duration expired.

The yellow lightning surrounding my sword also faded, allowing me to conserve my remaining Mana.

"That's... Princess Elena!"

"She's incredible! She defeated those Golems!"

The morale of the Imperial soldiers seemed to rise again after seeing the Golems that had been troubling them destroyed.

I raised my sword into the air.

"Soldiers of Aragon! Continue advancing and crush the enemy forces!"

"YEAHHH! Attack them!"

"Show them the true strength of the Aragonian people!"

The battle resumed.

This time, our forces had the advantage.

I didn't remain idle either.

I began cutting down the enemies who approached me.

The only things I could hear around me were the sounds of battle and the screams of dying men.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

That was all I did.

However, even though the Imperial forces and I had killed countless enemies, their numbers didn't seem to decrease at all.

My stamina was also being rapidly depleted.

The Imperial soldiers were beginning to tire as well, and the enemy forces were gradually pushing us back.

"Enemy reinforcements have arrived after defeating our 5,000 soldiers on the other side!"

I heard someone shout.

That meant the number of enemies fighting us here had effectively doubled.

Slowly, our forces began to be overwhelmed by the sheer strength of the enemy.

I did everything I could to prevent the Alliance soldiers from pushing our forces back.

But there were simply too many of them.

They were unstoppable.

"We can't retreat any further! Our forces are fighting the enemy to the west behind us!"

If this continued, we would be crushed from both sides, surrounded, and left with nowhere to escape.

"Die!"

Several enemy soldiers attacked me.

I managed to dodge them and killed them with several quick slashes.

"Hah... Hah... Hah..."

After nearly an half-hour of fighting, my body was beginning to reach its limit.

This was the difference between a small-scale battle and a large-scale one.

The most important thing to preserve was stamina.

"There are too many of them!"

"Don't let them take our banner! Take it back from the enemy!"

Everything had descended into chaos.

Battle formations were no longer relevant.

All that remained was soldiers fighting one another and spilling as much of their enemies' blood as possible.

"Reform the formation! Don't get separated!" I shouted, trying to regroup the scattered soldiers.

But the only response I received was the screams of our soldiers being slaughtered by the enemy.

This is bad...

If this continued, our entire army could be wiped out.

I had to do something to bring everyone back together.

My eyes then fell upon a banner lying on the ground.

***

[Raul PoV]

The battle was still raging.

Although we had gained an advantage thanks to the Cavalry charge led by Elena and her unit, it wasn't enough to defeat the Alliance forces.

Furthermore, their other troops had already joined the battle after defeating the 5,000 Imperial soldiers not far from here.

"Keep advancing! Push them back!"

"Victory will be ours soon!"

The Alliance attacks grew increasingly fierce.

The Imperial soldiers seemed completely exhausted after fighting for almost a hours.

"Die, One-Eye!"

Three enemy soldiers approached me.

They unleashed attack after attack, intending to kill me.

Because my left eye was blind, I was having considerable difficulty dealing with their attacks.

— CLANG!

I deflected one of their sword strikes before quickly performing a Spinning Slash, severing one soldier's head.

"Damn you!"

Another soldier thrust his sword toward my neck.

I shifted my head aside and countered with a slash toward his leg.

"ARRRGHHHH!"

The soldier screamed as he collapsed after my blade severed his leg.

But I didn't stop there.

Activating Temper, I delivered a vertical slash toward the remaining soldier.

— SLASH!

His body was cleaved in two.

My sword cut through his helmet and all the way down through his body.

Yet the enemy forces seemed endless.

The troops fighting the enemy forces behind us also appeared to be getting pushed back.

"Hey! Who's fighting over there?!"

"Look! It seems the enemy is surrounding someone!"

Hearing the soldiers' words, I turned my head.

I saw the enemy troops forming a circle around someone in the center.

— BOOOOM!!!

A massive burst of lightning erupted, striking in every direction.

The enemy soldiers surrounding that person were blasted backward and sent flying through the air.

Once there was nothing obstructing my view, I realized that the person they had surrounded was a woman.

Her blonde hair fluttered in the wind.

Her gaze was sharp.

And in her left hand, she held a banner staff.

"Knights and soldiers of Aragon! Listen to me!" the woman shouted, causing both our forces and the enemy to turn their attention toward her.

"I know the enemy outnumbers us! I know that we are currently at a disadvantage!"

All of our soldiers listened to her words.

However, the enemy forces didn't stand still.

They attempted to attack Elena again.

I immediately activated Ashpalt and intercepted the soldiers who were trying to reach her.

"I won't let you touch her!"

The enemy soldiers looked furious that I had thwarted their attack.

"I know that exhaustion and the fear of death are making us hesitate to face this seemingly hopeless battle!" Elena continued.

Meanwhile, I kept the enemy forces away from her so that nothing could interrupt what she was doing.

I knew exactly what Elena was about to do.

She was going to unleash another one of her Profound Codices.

"But we—the people of Aragon—must have the courage to overcome that fear!"

"We can become brave precisely because we know what fear feels like!"

"Therefore, steel your hearts! Ignite your spirits!"

"And show the world that we are a great and powerful people!"

A golden light began to envelop Elena's body.

The blonde-haired woman then waved the banner in her hands from side to side.

"OUUUHHHH!"

"YEAHH! Defeat the enemy!"

"We can do it as long as we keep fighting and never give up!"

Our soldiers suddenly regained their fighting spirit.

Their morale returned.

"Fight, Knights of Aragon!"

"Do not surrender until your very last drop of blood!"

"Rise! Stand once more and defeat your enemies!"

After Elena shouted those words, the light surrounding her body suddenly spread outward, attaching itself to the bodies of our soldiers.

"Attack them!"

"Push them back!"

The enemy forces looked shocked as they watched our soldiers, who should have been exhausted by now, suddenly regain an overwhelming amount of strength.

That's right...

This was one of Elena's most terrifying Profound Codices.

Inspire.

"Damn it! How do they still have this much strength?!"

"Do they not feel exhaustion at all?!"

Our forces began pushing the Alliance soldiers back.

I looked at my own body, now covered in the golden light generated by Elena's magic.

The exhaustion I had been feeling suddenly disappeared.

My strength felt as though it had multiplied several times over.

Elena's ability could increase the stamina, morale, and combat capabilities of every soldier fighting alongside her.

"Pax Aeterna de Aragon!"

"Glory to the Eternal Empire!"

Elena shouted again while continuing to wave the Imperial banner.

Her Battle Speech ignited the fighting spirit of the entire Imperial army.

At this moment...

At this very second...

The Goddess of War of the Aragon Empire was born.

In the future, the armies she led would become known as undefeated forces, whether they fought against mankind or even the armies of the Demon King.

That was the true power of Elena de Aragon.